A poll carried out for the Daily Telegraph has underscored the fact that a terrifying number of Muslims in Britain support terrorist attacks. The vast majority of British Muslims oppose them, but six per cent say they were ‘fully justified’. As the political analyst Professor Anthony King observes:

‘Six per cent may seem a small proportion but in absolute numbers it amounts to about 100,000 individuals who, if not prepared to carry out terrorist acts, are ready to support those who do. Moreover, the proportion of YouGov's respondents who, while not condoning the London attacks, have some sympathy with the feelings and motives of those who carried them out is considerably larger - 24 per cent. A substantial majority, 56 per cent, say that, whether or not they sympathise with the bombers, they can at least understand why some people might want to behave in this way.’

The survey also found that nearly one British Muslim in five feels little loyalty towards this country or none at all:

‘If these findings are accurate, and they probably are, well over 100,000 British Muslims feel no loyalty whatsoever towards this country… YouGov asked respondents how they feel about Western society and how, if at all, they feel Muslims should adapt to it. A majority, 56 per cent, believe "Western society may not be perfect but Muslims should live with it and not seek to bring it to an end".

'However, nearly a third of British Muslims, 32 per cent, are far more censorious, believing that "Western society is decadent and immoral and that Muslims should seek to bring it to an end". Among those who hold this view, almost all go on to say that Muslims should only seek to bring about change by non-violent means but one per cent, about 16,000 individuals, declare themselves willing, possibly even eager, to embrace violence.’

These findings are deeply alarming. Such numbers supporting terrorism and expressing hatred for this country and a desire to destroy it are simply insupportable. Britain has a major social and security crisis on its hands which it has yet to properly acknowledge, let alone confront.

Posted by melanie at July 24, 2005